Footboard



v, 1,512,775 J. C. LITTLE f FOCTBOARD 2 Sheet5-$heet l Filed Jan. 2O1923 d., 21. am. 1,512,775 J. C. LITTLE FOOTBOARD Filed Jan. 20. 1923 2Sheets-Sheet 2 @velu/Ory Jf//V C. /TTLE Patented Oct. 2l, 1924.

entre!) STATES N & co., or CHICAGO,

Alpplication'ifflld #January To all whom it mag/concern; y j j Be itknown that I, JOHN C. LITTLE. a citizen of the United States,residing'at Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of 5 lllino's,haveinvented certain new and luscful Improvements in Footboards, ofwhieh the following is a specification. This invention relates tofoot-boarols.` t j It will be explained as applied to a 'running boardfor railwayvcars and the like.

Patent No. 1,019,627granted MarchV k5, 1912, to W. E. Fow i board havingan open mesh tread'offexpanded metal fabric. l5 cation Serial No. 580,

1922, shows a foot-board havin mesh tread of woven wire fabric j Witheither type Lof foot-board vit was g an 'open proposed to'secure theends of the metal dl ler, Jr., shows affoot-y My @Opendingapplr 597,filed vAugust 9,

ao," 192e. serial'. Nb, '513.821..

F"Fig.14 is a section on` the, line/1 4 of Fig. 5 is. a front elevationand partial 4section of ay saddle or supportA forfcarryng the endsof'twofadjacenttread units. f 'F Fig. 6y is a side elevation"y ofthe'vsaddle o `F ig. 'p7/is a front elevation and partial section of a'vsaddle for supporting and anchoryingy the .tread units intermediatethevends thereof.'l y j y v y Fig.8 risa side elevation of the.intermediate saddleof Fig. 7.- f f Fig. 9 shows an arrangement forsupporting the overlianging ends ofv the tread at the ends of a car. ly, yF ig. lOshowsa-cross section Aof. a di'erent association or.relation `of tread and sadfabric to the supports or"saddles which f 11aside elevation kofthe ysaddlefof supported the fabric above the roofofthe Fig 10. g Y

car and anchored the fabric thereto. Ordi- The tread `,unit of .the newfootfboard is narily such construction makes it advisable Qr neceary toassemble the tread and saddles at the point of manufacture and to shipthe assembled structure to the place of application. j

Storage and shipment of such assembled foot-boards may be objectionablyinconvenient and expensive. The relative non-inter'- changeability ofsuch assembled structures may be objectionable because of the relativelylarge numbers of boards which it may be necessary to manufacture andkeepgin stock to fit various sizes and styles of cars.

One of the objects of this invention is to.

provide` an improved foot-board. y l n Anether object is to provide ametal open mesh fabric foot-board which Vmay be manufactured instandardparts or units adapted to be separately stocked and shipped. i y

Another object is to rovidefan improved support or saddle for the tread.j Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings.

The views in the drawings are as follows: Fig. l is a top plan of a secttread unit or section.

Fig. 2 is `an end el vation and partial crosssection of a footcar roof.Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan of a. joint to between two tread units orsections.

oard in place on a .ion of the adapted to be manufactured any desiredstandard lengths. a ,self supporting framework and ai metal yopen workfabric covering orl tread kof eX- .panded metal, ,woven wire .or othersuitable material@` e .M u L The framework comprises -two parallel sidemembers or side rails land two par,- allel end members or end rails 2..kIntermediatecross members 3 maybe ,applied bektweenvside'rails f1 ifdesired.` The side,- end and intermediate mernbersof the framework `Lnaybe`r formed yfrom suitable angleiron ars. f. f The end and'interlnediatemembers may be secured tothe siderails- 'to form a self supporting.framework. unit asfollows.: Each end of anend or yintermediate,memberiscut at the angle` of 'its websfor some distance backfrom the endthereof. ,The two sepain sections. of Itcomprises rated and angularlyrelatedwebs are then bent aty substantially right angles to the body ofthe member to form a pair of flaps for attachment to the adjacent siderail. One flap 4 (formed from the vertical web), is bent inwardly to fitalong the vertical web 'fof corresponding side rail 1. The otherflap 5(formed from the horizontal web) is bent downwardly the side rail. siderails b or spot we ding.

e framework unt'is covered with a fab- The flaps may be secured tothe tot'along the vertical web 'of suitable means such as rivets 6'vr ric 7which .forms the open mesh `metallic tread or sup port for the feet ofthe trainmen'.

vBy placing the side and end rails of the Figs. 2 to 6, inclusive, showa form of sadf` dle for anchoring the tread to'f'a carroof.

lViththissaddle the tread" unit will ordiif mediatezsaddles 16 arenarily have its end members secured thereto. The saddlecomprises aycasting 10 of malleable iron or other suitable material. The-casting iscurved, as shown most clearlyin Figs. 2 and 5, to approximately fit overtheridge of the car to which it is to be applied. Ithas two upwardlyprojecting legs Y11 at opposite ends, for attachment to the tread unit.Each leg has ing lugs'12v. These lugs are adapted to 11e against theinner surface ofthe horlzontal web of the corresponding end rail of thetread section, as most clearly shown in Fi 4. The separation betweenlugs 12 of eac leg gives sucient space 'for the overhangmg arts ofthehorizontal end rail'webs and the abric of adjacent tread sections. Thelegs of the saddles yare secured to 'end rails 2 by suitable means suchas bolts 13 which pass through registering holes therein: Eachsaddle`may bev-providedv with. a proyecting foot 14. through y n Ipassedinto'the car roof. The hole for this anchoring bolt'or screw maybeenlar ed at its upper end to form a small cup 15 or .receiving the yheadand any suitab e weatherproof compounA n. Figs. 7 .and 8 show aconstruction o f snmlar character for the saddles'to be secured to`intermediate cross members'3.` These interlikew'ise made from othersuitable material. ht legs 17 to lie against e webs of theintermedimalleable iron or Each has two upri and be secured to t atecross members. Bolts may be used to secure the intermediate saddles tothe correspending "intermediate Screws or bolts, passin intofthe car'roof place.

cross members.

anc or these vsaddles in two upwardly and inwardlypr'oject- 'y y carsand the like, having a tread section comwhich a bolt k:or screw may bethrough feet 18 and f scribed my name.

legs 22 quite similar to the lsaddles previously described. Le

y22 are formed to provide sockets orshou ders 23 for receiving and su fportin the vertical webs ofside rails 1. e side rail and saddle aresecured together by suitable means such asbolts 24.

The end and intermediatesaddles may be cored and webbed as shown todecrease their weIi-ght. Y y

y aving described my inventionv what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, isiy1. A foot-board for' the roof of railway prisedof a pair of side rails and a pair of endy rails secured together toform a self supporting framework, and an open mesh metal fabric carriedby the framework; and a saddle for attachment to one of the rails andthe car jpoof and supporting the; fabric above the roo 2.'A foot-boardfor the roof of railway lcars and the like, having a self supportingtread section comprising a pairv of end rails and a pair of side railssecured together to form a rectangular framework unit, and a metallicopen mesh fabric tread between the rails andv anchored thereto;` and asaddle attachable to the rails at each end -of a unit and tothecarroof., 3.' Y.afoot-board section, for railway cars and the likecomprisinga rectangular self supportin framework unit having two angleiron side rails and two angle iron end rails secured together, an' openmesh metallic fabric tread extendingk betweenthe rails and anchoredthereto, and a saddle at each end of the framework and' for su portingthe tread above a roof, each saddleilaving an u right leg for carryingthe framework and or attachment to one ofthe rails.

In testimony `whereof I JOHN o; LITTLE.

hereunto sub-

